What You Need For The PERFECT Downstairs Baby Changing Station

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SuperAbsorbent #CollectiveBias

Before Moses I never really saw the value in a changing table. You know, cause that's one of those items that you can do without. Or that's what I thought until I had three kids to chase after, clean or change. I would literally have diapers stashed all over the place.

Then the messiness of that got the best of me and I decided to get a changing table for downstairs. 

Because this has been such a huge help to me I'm going to share what you need to make a downstairs changing station of your own. I love having this alternate place to change the baby for a few reasons...

1 - No more pee accidents on the carpet, couch or my bed. If the baby happens to pee during a change I no longer have to worry about cleaning up the mess that creates. No more impromptu loads of laundry, no more pee on the carpet. If he goes during a change I can just wipe down the changing pad. Easy peasy.

2 - No child should go unsupervised. Having this table has limited my trips up and down the stairs during the day. If we're all playing in the living room and someone needs to be changed I don't have to make a trip to the nursery to get things I need.

3 - Getting in/out of the house has been made so much easier. I can change him right before we leave the house before errands and if he's messy when we get home I don't have to trek the mess all the way through the house and upstairs. 

Here's how you make a station of your own. First pick an alternate spot for your table. Pick a space that is used frequently. I chose the living room because we spend the majority of our day playing there. You may have a designated playroom, basement or some other space that works best for you.

Next you'll need to pick a table. Make sure your table has some sort of shelving or storage space.

Stock your table with the obvious must-haves like diapers and wipes. I like Huggies Little Movers Plus. They come in sizes 3 to 6 and they have double grip strips to help with fit which is perfect for babies like Moses that stay on the go. Huggies Little Movers Plus (and Huggies Little Snugglers Plus size Newborn to 2) are only available at Costco so grab them during one of your trips. I like buying my diapers at the beginning of the month. These diapers are a smart choice because they are super absorbent and you get tons of them in a box for the price. 

If you're a deal watcher like me know this:

• Little Snugglers Plus (Sizes 1 & 2) – $37.49, $31.49 after $6 discount and Free shipping (this offer valid 9/1 to 9/25)
• Little Movers Plus (Size 3, 4, 5, & 6) – $42.99, $36.99 after $6 discount and Free shipping (this offer valid 9/1 –to 9/25)
• In August Little Snugglers Plus became available in size Newborn starting - $29.99 available in select warehouses and online at Costco.com

Now that you've got the basics taken care of add a few blankets to your table. If your baby spits up or if you like having a blanket on the floor for your child to play on having extras on hand will keep you from running to the nursery if something gets messy. 

The same goes for a change of clothes. I haven't met a baby that didn't require an outfit change at some point during the day. Save your legs and keep these in your changing station.

I also like to keep a couple baby friendly toys on the table. This way if the kids are arguing over a toy I have a couple back ups to bribe someone into "sharing".

That's it! I also like to keep sanitizing wipes close by. Now that Moses is crawling and digging I no longer keep them on his table. They are close by in the kitchen if I need to wipe his changing table down. You might have a bathroom or laundry room that would work for you.

Here is a checklist of everything you need to grab during your next trip to Costco to make your changing station. Feel free to print!

Do you have an alternate changing station in your house? 

Chic Living: Making a (BASE) House a Home

It is so hard to believe that we have been here for three months already. Now that we are settled I am getting the itch to decorate and turn this house into a home. I never got the itch to decorate in Texas. That house didn't inspire me or speak to me but this one speaks volumes.

It may be the natural light or the fact that this house just has a better layout. Either way, I have been adding little touches here and there so I figured I'd share some of my makeover goals with you.

The first thing I want to do is buy curtains. We need curtains for the living room and some window coverings for the back sliding door that leads to the backyard in the dining area. I also want to redo our dining room chairs (again).

I don't like the first fabric choice I made. Now that I know how cheap and easy it is to do the chairs I'll be searching for a fabric that I absolutely love. I'm thinking a solid color would be great next to curtains with a pattern.

Savannah has been asking for a big girl room lately. I really want to convert her bed to a full size and give her room a big girl face lift. We already have the frame for her bed. I just need to get her a new mattress and figure out a theme for her room. She likes pink so I plan to weave that color in somehow.

I really love the window seat in her room and I want to make that a special place for her to read. So far she's been using it to drive my OCD in overdrive.

And then there's our room. I honestly just want new bedding. I grabbed our current comforter when we moved to Texas in 2012. That comforter has seen better days. Between the kids and the move it has a large rip in it (that had to be done with scissors - no one knows how it got there 😒).



I am kind of obsessed with clean white sheets. So my dream bedding would probably be an all white big fluffy bed but I do love a lot of the fun pillows I'm seeing lately so I don't know which way to go.

We'll be here for at least three years (hopefully) so I really want this place to feel like home. Share your home style inspiration with me in the comments. Got any suggestions for curtain colors for the living room?

SIDE NOTE: That couch is our ride or die. She's not as pretty as she use to be due to all the kids and the moves that she's endured. I think some pillows would give her a nice face lift...

Organizing Mamas: Baby Nursery Inspiration

I am officially in the third trimester of my pregnancy, yay!!! I feel so incredibly blessed to have made it this far. I'm praying to stay pregnant as long as possible.

From previous experience I know it's in my family's best interest to go ahead and get prepared for baby as soon as possible. Little Mike came earlier than we expected and there were still some things that needed to be done once we were home from the hospital. Not fun.

I want to be ready this time. So this week for the Organizing Mamas Challenge I'll be trying to gather some ideas for a neutral baby nursery. I have been resting so much that I've actually ended up in a really time sensitive place. Thankfully, this challenge with Mimi from Unlikely Martha has been keeping me somewhat on task.

Living on a military base doesn't allow me to do as much as I would like to as far as decorating goes. Our home is over a hundred years old. The bedrooms are small but the house has a cozy charming feel to it. I plan to do a neutral 'nursery' so that the baby can share a room with either Sav or Little Mike. I just can't afford to give up our guest room right now. Our parents need a room when they come visit. 

I am very attracted to a room with a grey base. It can be easily transitioned to a boy or girl's room by adding different colors. 

That room is very similar to what I'll actually be working with. The walls in our house will remain white so I have to bring in color with furniture and decor. I found this crib on Amazon that I really love because it comes in different colors. I could easily choose a color that already matches the decor in Savannah or Little Mike's room.

I don't know why I'm so drawn to grey right now. It honestly doesn't go with either of the kid's rooms so I'd have to do a total room makeover for grey to work. I'm tossing around the idea. I like simple, easy and timeless design because moving is inevitable I want their rooms to work no matter where we're living.

For Mama's with multiples... Have you ever had kids share a room? How did that work? If giving up my guest room is worth it I'll consider it. Sleep means everything to me so I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep the sleep flowing around here.

Now go check out Mimi's post to see her mud room makeover update!

Organizing Mamas: Kitchen Pantry Reveal

This week has been so busy. I haven't blogged much because Savannah's birthday consumed all of my free time. I'll do a post one day this week about everything we did to celebrate her turning five.

Now that I am sort of back in the swing of things Mimi from Unlikely Martha and I are revealing our spaces for the Organizing Mamas Challenge. This could not have come at a better time for me. While I was recovering from my hospital stay my Mom was in town and she pulled my entire kitchen together. It's so organized in here and I am loving it. I can actually find lids to containers now. My heart is so happy.

My pantry before was a hot mess. There were things stuffed and crammed all over the place. Little Mike would take stuff out, throw it away or hide it somewhere in the house. Now all of his favorite items to play with are out of his reach and no longer in bright eye catching colors. He has lost all interest in the pantry. Again, my heart is happy.

Here is a before pic of the pantry...

And here is the after...

One of the things my Mom did that I loved was that she completely removed all the medicine out of the pantry. She also got rid of the cereal boxes. One of my favorite new features of my pantry would be the snack tub. I don't buy much junk food but we always seem to have tortilla chips (because chips & salsa are household staples here) whatever snacks I buy for the kids. The smaller tub on top is filled with kid friendly snacks like fruit snacks, breakfast bars and applesauce. The larger tub holds popcorn bags and chips. 

The bread basket freed up space on my kitchen island (another heart happy moment) and I love that the potatoes and onions have a basket of their own. Military housing doesn't provide much storage in some of the historic homes (like our's) so you really have to get creative with making the small spaces work. I think my Mom did a great job!

What do you think of my pantry makeover? Now head over to Mimi's blog to see the reveal of her space. She recently did a blog overhaul with a new name and vibe to match. Be sure to stop by and show her post some love. She's got so many great DIY/home posts!

Organizing Mamas: Kid's Play and Homework Space (AFTER)

I may or may not be in a very early nesting phase. When I first started decluttering at the beginning of the Summer I had no idea we had this much crap. Cleaning off the desk in the kitchen was very enlightening. Let's just say that I found a pencil sharpener on the desk after clearing it off.

Mimi and I are revealing our spaces for the Organizing Mamas: Kid's Play and Homework Space Challenge.

This was our desk area before... This was definitely my "Devil Wears Prada" moment of everyday. I'd just slap stuff down on this desk and keep it moving.

The after... This clean desk was achieved by utilizing the empty file cabinet that has always been located directly next to the desk. Don't judge me. Everything that didn't deserve to get filed got thrown in the trash or shredded. I took all of the books upstairs to their new home along with the photo album. Who has a photo album in their kitchen? We did. The pencil sharpener was found behind the photo album. 

I can see our calendar again. There is also a place for my computer now. This makes me so excited!

I had been looking for a bookshelf for weeks. Every thrift store within a decent radius from my house met me and my kids. I didn't think I was going to have any luck finding a shelf. I was tempted to just hop on Amazon and order one but because we might be moving soon I didn't want to buy anything new.

I try not to buy any big ticket items before a move because things always get broken, scratched or "lost". My plan was to find a wooden bookshelf that I could give a face lift. Something that would serve it's purpose in this house before we find new roots somewhere else.

All of the books were located in Savannah's room. I thought it would be a better idea to bring the books out into this spot between the kid's rooms. My hope was that I could free up enough space to make room for a crib in Savannah's room. Savannah has decided that she no longer wants to share a room with her new sibling. I will cross that bridge again when I have to....

Here is the new bookshelf. I found it on Sunday afternoon. It was originally $29 and I got it for $19. If you could have seen me in that Goodwill celebrating... 

I thought I was going to paint this shelf but my husband had a hard time getting it upstairs. I don't think I'll make him take it back down and back up again. That might be overcooking his grits. So I gave the shelf a nice cleaning and filled it up with books.

It fits perfectly in the hall. While putting the books on the shelf it dawned on me that if I made the kids swap rooms that it would be more than enough space for Little Mike and the #grandfinalebaby to share a room, and I wouldn't have to lose my guest room. We'll see. That's another bridge for another day as well.

Our next Organizing Mamas Challenge will focus on a kitchen storage area. I'll be figuring out how to make our kitchen pantry function a bit better. Here is a before of the pantry...

I'll be taking some cues from Mimi on this one because her pantry makeover was amazing. Visit her blog to see how she transformed her kid's play and homework space. Then come back in two weeks to see how we pulled our kitchen storage areas together.

Join our challenge on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Share your before and after pics using the #OrganizingMamasChallenge hashtag. 

 What home projects are you working on right now?

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for Back to School

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 
#BackToClean #CollectiveBias


Summer is quickly coming to an end and that can only mean one thing, it's time for all things Back to School. If you've been reading my blog lately you know that I have been on a cleaning rampage around here. I have been reorganizing, decluttering and coming up with new ways to make keeping our house clean and germ free as easy as possible.

I had promised Savannah a trip to Target. She earned a shopping trip for being such a good girl this past week. While we were there I picked up my favorite go-to cleaning product, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. 

I absolutely love how Clorox Disinfecting Wipes make cleaning so easy for me. When you have a almost five year old, two year old and you're 19 weeks pregnant you need cleaning to be fast and easy. I'm all about effortless housekeeping so I make sure we never run out of these.

I get several packs of these wipes at a time because I keep them all over the house. Each bathroom gets a container and of course I keep them in the kitchen. I also have them in the kid's play area, the laundry closet and in the arts and crafts closet. Having wipes all over the house keeps me from making a mad dash to the kitchen whenever I need one.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes clean and disinfect at the same time. When I use these wipes I know that 99.9% of germs including viruses that can cause colds or the flu are wiped out. (see what I did there) Another great thing about Clorox Disinfecting Wipes is the clear-drying formula. I absolutely hate filmy wet surfaces so the clear-drying formula is probably my favorite thing about the wipes.

Here are  all the many ways I use Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to keep my family happy, healthy and germ free during the Back to School Fall season. 

In the kitchen:

• Disinfects sink & countertops
• Daily cleaning of fridge door, oven door and dishwasher door (i call this "little hands zone")
• Stovetop & range
• Clean & disinfect inside of fridge
• Cleans microwave inside and out
• Cleans & disinfects finished hardwood kitchen table
• Highchair 
• Cabinets
• Pantry doors
• Garbage can in & out

Arts & Crafts area:

• This easel... (wait until you see the after photo)
• Floor in paint area
• Walls in paint area
• Arts and Crafts apron

In the bathroom: (Super easy daily cleaning while kids are in tub)

• Nightly cleaning of shower and tub between big cleans
• Sink - goodbye leftover toothpaste
• Potty Training seat for toilet
• Actual Toilet seat

General germ-free uses:

• Doorknobs
• Light switches
• Back to School gift for teachers
• Grocery store carts (put some in a little zip bag for your diaper bag)
• Cars - because spills happen there too. (always get a lid for your kid's milkshake)
• Outdoor water tables and toys

So that's how I use Clorox Disinfecting Wipes to keep my house germ free! Gearing up for back to school has been so much fun. I can not believe my first child will be off to school in a couple weeks. I'll be sure to send her to school with some wipes to keep the spread of germs at bay in the classroom too!

Are you staying germ-free as you send your little ones back to school?

Organizing Mamas: Kids Play and Homework Space Challenge

I think everyone has that place in their house that ends up collecting all the stuff that doesn't have a true home. Since I have been on a mission to declutter and reorganize our home to prepare for the new baby I thought it would be a great idea to start focusing my attention on our kitchen next.

One of my favorite bloggers recently did a kitchen pantry makeover that inspired me to start pulling my kitchen together. If you don't follow Mimi over at Lipgloss and Binky you should be. We will be decluttering and reorganizing our homes in an effort to make a big impact on the everyday lives of our families.

So far my little projects have done wonders for me. Next up on my list is the desk in our kitchen. It's where I'd like for Savannah to do her homework after school and during our home learning time.

This desk is a mess and it drives me crazy. No matter how clean my kitchen is it never looks all the way done because of this desk. Stay tuned for the makeover...

There is also an area in their play space that drives me crazy. I have been able to find a solution for their toys but I'm still working on how to make their little library function better. I honestly feel like the library needs a new location because I may need to use that space for the new baby's crib. Savannah has agreed that if the baby is a girl she is more than welcome to share her room.

If it's a boy I guess that means I'll be losing a guest room...

Here is the space that needs the work...

That bookshelf is about two to five books away from collapsing. The bin next to it is full of books that need a place on a shelf. I'd love to find a good wooden bookshelf at a thrift store. I'll be hitting up several to see what I can find.

Anyone else have a play space or homework space that needs a small makeover? 

If so, share it with us on IG, FB or Twitter using the hashtag #OrganizingMamasChallenge. In two weeks we'll be sharing the results of our makeovers and we can't wait to see your's!

Now head over to Mimi's blog to see the space that she's working on. The play space and homework room in her house is super cute!

Easy Toy Storage for Kid's Room

So I said that I would keep you all up to date with how decluttering and simplifying things around here was going. It has truly been a team effort and I am happy to report that we are pretty much done with everything that was on my to-do list.

I don't know about you but toys being everywhere drives me crazy. There was a point where there was literally a toy every where I looked. I finally had to say enough was enough and figure out a plan to organize them. We started in Savannah's room.

At first I thought about getting one of those popular open shelf cubby hole bucket type storage systems. You've seen them before. In theory, I like what they represent but I knew that wouldn't be a good fit for us. I wanted something that would put the toys completely out of my sight when they aren't being played with. Messy open buckets on a shelf would drive me crazy.

After searching online for what seemed like forever I again decided to take it back to the old school way of doing things again. Once I found these I knew they were for us. Not only were they inexpensive but each drawer is so huge. There's a drawer for each kind of toy. Now Savannah always knows where her toys are and she's being taught to organize her own things. This has been so helpful with getting her to actually clean up after herself. Her room has been clean and there aren't random toys in my living room anymore. Mommy-win.

I also love the fact that these storage units can actually grow with her. When she outgrows toys, as long as these are still in great shape, we can always use them for something. Storage is always so limited in military housing and this is a great solution to one of our many storage problems. 

I should also mention that part of the decluttering process was getting rid of toys. We sat down together and filled a couple boxes with toys she was no longer playing with. I talked to her about giving to other little girls who may not have toys and she happily donated toys to them. She rode with me to Goodwill and helped me dropped them off. So, there was a purging process involved.

My next project for the kid's is finding a better bookshelf to hold their entire library. Any suggestions?

What do you think? Do you like the idea of opting for these drawers over the open shelving options? How do you control the clutter of toys at your house?

Glade and Ziploc Holiday Collection

We are so close to the true start of the holiday season. In my opinion, the holiday season doesn't truly kick off until after Thanksgiving. We've been talking a lot about Thanksgiving here. I wanted to share some very fun and inexpensive ways to add that extra touch to your home this season. I am so excited to share the Glade® Winter Collection and the Ziploc® Holiday Collection. 

One of my favorite ways to get into the holiday spirit is by filling my home with yummy smells. I'm currently burning the Pure Vanilla Joy™ Glade® candle. It smells like a fresh batch of frosted sugar cookies. Yum! The collection also offers Sparkling Spruce™ if you prefer the scent of fresh cut pine and Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ if red apples and spice is more your style. My family will be trying Frosted Berry Kiss™ next because it's a mix of red berries and fresh green garlands, love! Perfect for Christmas, especially if you're like us and you opt for a not-so-live tree.

I always decorate our kitchen for the holiday season. This year I'm happy to have a little extra Christmas flair with the Ziploc® Holiday Collection. All of my Thanksgiving leftovers and desserts for friends are going to look so festive in these storage bags and containers.

We got the red and green containers. Since there were coupons in the paper for this collection I grabbed a few extras. You know these types of items tend to leave your home and not come back around this time of year. I'm happy that I was able to score some to have extras on hand for to-go plates.

These would also come in handy for hostess and teacher's gifts. Visit Kmart.com for over $12 in savings on Glade® and Ziploc® holiday collection products. 

So what do you think? Are you as excited as I am about the approaching holiday season?

THIS IS A SPONSORED POST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NICHE PARENT NETWORK. I AM A KMART SC JOHNSON BLOGGER, THOUGH ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Sharing a Room...

Before I get into what this post is actually about I just wanted to share if you didn't know (or don't care) that Princess Kate has announced that she is due in July. Well. Guess what Kate? Me too! Me. Too. My blogger friend Baby Teems was right. I don't appreciate all these celebs trying to steal my shine, haha! Just kidding. So many of my friends have been announcing that they are expecting on Facebook. I feel like there's a new announcement from someone just about everyday. So. I'm in good company and it's a great time to be with child. Apparently.

So. Anyway. Now that I'm a little further along I've been thinking about where this baby is going to sleep. I know. Too soon? Possibly. But for anyone that knows me in real life you know that I'm all about having things planned out. I decided that it would be so much easier for me if the kids just shared a room. We'll probably move again within a year of me having the baby so this option will work out well until it's time to move again. Even though there is currently space for a separate nursery it would involve too much work. Someone would have to clear all the furniture out of the extra room (which is currently an unused "man cave" but we won't get into that) and then move it to a storage facility. I am not trying to spend money on storage and I don't want to give up the other room that's used for guests.

Still with me? Has anyone had a toddler and a newborn share a room? How did it go? Here are some of the ideas I've found on Pinterest. I am using these as inspiration for furniture placement. If it's a girl we'll keep the same decor that Savannah already has. If it's a boy I'll try to neutralize the room as much as possible. 

                                                                                   Source: houzz.com via Tia on Pinterest

                                                                                       Source: blogs.babble.com via Tia on Pinterest

                                                                                  Source: melissaesplin.com via Tia on Pinterest